U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,466 issued to J. A. Giordmaine on Aug. 5, 1969 describes an optical beam peak power amplifier and buncher.
Essentially, this patent teaches the concept of breaking up a light beam into spatially separated portions and thence subjecting the spatially separated portions to different delay times so that the same can be reassembled to all occur substantially at a single moment in time.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,346 issued Aug. 15, 1972 there is described an optical integrating system which accomplishes an integration of spatially and time separated light pulses into a single large pulse of light by utilizing a unique arrangement of fiber optics together with a special reflective crystal capable of generating progressively increasing annular rings of light.
In both of the foregoing systems, there is involved a "fly back" time in the scanning of the initial light beam in order to "break up" in a time and spatial sequence the light involved so that successive portions thereof can be delayed in such a manner that they will all add up at the output. For example, if a row of delay lines is provided, the light will successively impinge on the inlet ends of the delay lines until it reaches the last of the delay lines and then the light must be returned to its initial position; that is, scanned back quickly to the first one of the delay lines and the process then repeated.
The same situation obtains in my above-mentioned U.S. patent wherein concentric rings of light are employed in the scanning operation. When the last or largest diameter ring is completed, the generating crystal must return to its initial state to commence a second succession of ever-expanding rings of light and it is during the return time that the light is wasted.